Breech-loading firearm.



No. 796,307. I PATENTED AUG. 1, 1905.

G. P. FAY & O. F; MOSSBERG.

BREECH LOADING FIREARM;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES P. FAY AND OSCAR F. MOSSBERG. OF CHICOPEE FALLS, MAS-SACHUSETTS; SAID MOSSBERG ASSIGNOR TO J. STEVENS ARMS & TOOL COMPANY, OFCHICOPEE FALLS, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION.

BREECH-LOADING FIREARM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Iatented Aug. 1, 1905.

Application filed July 1, 1904. Serial No. 214,990.

1'0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES P. FAY and OSCAR- F. MOSSBERG, citizens ofthe United States of America, residing at Chicopee Falls, in the countyof Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Breech-Loading Firearms, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to breech-loading firearms, and has especialreference to that type of firearms in which the breech mechanismcomprises a longitudinally and rotatably movable bolt having anaxially-movable hammer therein, the object of the present inventionbeing to provide a breech-closing mechanism of this type in which whenthe bolt is moved forward to close the breech the hammer will bemomentarily arrested toward the end of the breech-closing movement ofthe bolt, then allowed to advance after the bolt has been locked,whereby when the end of the bolt comes in contact with the cartridge theend of the firing-pin will be retracted, thus preventinga possiblepremature explosion should the bolt be shot forward quickly.

A further object of the invention consists in the construction of abreech closing mechanism and receiver, comprising means to effect thelocking of the bolt non-rotatably in the receiver by the cockingmovement of the hammer.

A further object of the invention is to pro vide a breech mechanismwhich may be dismounted without tools and in which alooselymountedextractor constitutes a locking means to hold the parts normally inoperative position in the receiver.

The invention is clearly'illustrate'd in the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the receiver of a firearm inwhich this invention has been embodied, a portion of the barrel beingshown in elevation. Fig. 2 is an end elevation ofthe same. Fig. 3 is aview similar to Fig. 1, showing the breech mechanism partly in sectionin an open position. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the bolt and hammer,showing the position of the parts at the beginning of the rotatablemovement of thebolt, whereby the latter is secured in breech-closingposition, the receiver being outlined in dotted lines. Fig. 5 is an endelevation of the parts shown in Fig. 4.. Fig. 6 is a view of the partsshown in Fig. 4 after the bolt has been rotated, the receiver beingshown in full lines in longitudinal section and the hammer being shownin cocked position in dotted lines. Fig. 7 is an end elevation of thebolt with the parts in position shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a verticalsection on line"8 8, Fig. 6.

Referring now to the drawings, a indicates the barrel, and b thereceiver or frame, of the firearm in which the breech mechanism ismounted. This breech mechanism consists of a bolt 0, bored out axiallyto receive the springoperated plunger cl, to the outer end of which issecured the head 6 in any suitable manner. The inner end of the plungerd is also provided with a head, between which and the outer end of thebolt the plunger is encircled by acoiled spring g, which is themainspring and is compressed when the head 6 is drawn out.

In the forward end of the bolt 0 a loose firingpin his mounted in anysuitable manner, the rear 'end of which extends into the axial recess inthe bolt, in which said plunger d moves, and is so arranged that thehead of plunger will strike it at the moment of firing and effect theignition of the cartridge in the usual manner.

The trigger j is hung on the under side of the receiver at 70, and laindicates a springactuated plunger constituting the triggerspring.

The under side of the bolt is cutaway, whereby an opening an is providedextending into the axial recess in which the plunger d is located. Intothis recess the nose 0 of the trigger extends, as well as the upturnedrear end 19 of the extractor g, which is provided with a hooked forwardend to engage the rim of the cartridge in the usual manner, and it ismoved forward by the engagement of the bolt with the hooked end thereofand retracted by the engagement of the upturned end p thereof with theunder side of the bolt when the latter moves in the opposite direction.

A spring 1" is so located that when the extractor is in position toengage the head of a cartridge this spring, bearing against the underside of the extractor, will be compressed, and it is so arranged astohold the hook end of the extractor against the cartridge during thebeginning of the breech-opening movement of the bolt 0, this positionbeing shown in Fig. 6.

The plunger (Z and the head 0, as stated, constitute practically onepiece, and there is let into the head 6 a flat tongue .9, which extendsforward under the bolt and has a sliding movement on the latter in theflat groove t. This tongue s is made of hardened steel, and, as shown inFig. 6, the end thereof is engaged by the nose of the trigger when thehead 0 is pulled back to cocked position. This construction so unitesthe head eand the bolt 0 that they are rotatable together, means torotate the bolt being provided in the lever e. As stated, however, thehead is movable longitudinally independently of the bolt.

The tongue s when the hand-lever w is in a vertical position will belocated in one side of the receiver, the bolt thus presenting a smoothunder surface to the trigger, whereby the forward-and-backward movementof the bolt will be unobstructed; but when the bolt is moved forward farenough to bring the lever e in position to beswunglaterally down pastthe shoulder w in the receiver and has been so rotated to lock the boltagainst retraction the flat tongue will be swung down to positiondirectly over the trigger, as shown in Figs. 6 and 8,and when the head ais pulled out the nose of the trigger will engage in the forward end ofsaid tongue, th us holding the hammer in cocked position.

It will be observed that on the side of the head 13, near the forwardedge thereof, is a short stud :r and that in the wall of the receiver,at the rear end thereof, are two parallel grooves 3 and 4, which runinto an inclined groove 5, also in the wall of the receiver and ofsubstantially the same depth as the grooves 3 and 4. These grooves 3, 4,and 5 receive the stud n on the head a.

When the bolt is pushed forward to lock the breech of the barrel, thestud travels in the groove 3, and just before the end of the boltreaches the limit of its movement this stud will come to abearingagainst the wall of the groove 5 lying opposite the end of the groove 3,which will prevent further movement of the head endwise with the bolt.Continued movement of the latter will bring the parts to the positionshown in Fig. 4-that is, the boltc will advance independently of thehead and push the cartridge to its seat in the barrel, the degree ofthis movement of the bolt relative to the head 0 being shown by thespace 6, which separates these parts, (see Fig. 4,) and this separationof the bolt and head 6 elfects a like separation between the forward endof the plunger (Z and the rear end of the firing-pin 8, this separationbeing indicated at 7, Fig. 4, and obviously is the same in degree as theseparation between the bolt and the head a. When the bolt is in theposition shown in Fig. 4, it may be rotated by throwing the lever e tothe right and down back of the shoulder 20 on the receiver, thisrotation causing the stud on the head 6 to move down the groove 5 in thewall of the receiver, whereupon the spring 9 will move the head (a andthe plunger d forwardly, as permitted by the forward inclination of saidslot, the end of the plunger (Z thus being allowed to move slowlyforward into contact with the firingpin. If now the head eand theplunger (6 be pulled out to cocked position, it will be ob' served thatthe stud :1: will slide rearwardly in the groove 4, and when the. hammeris cooked the stud will remain in said groove. Therefore as the head (ais non-rotatabl y connected with the bolt 0 the latter will be lockedagainst rotation in the manner described when the hammer is cocked.

A novel feature of this invention consists in the assemblage of theparts in operative position in the receiver, whereby while securelylocked therein they may be removed without the use of tools, theextractor constituting a key to effect such locking.

To remove the bolt 0, the parts are moved to the position shown in Fig.3, and the trigger is pulled back far enough to depress the nose 0thereof to the position indicated in dotted lines in said figure,whereupon the oxtractor will slide over the nose of the trigger,dropping down far enough to effect its disengagement with the shoulderwhich constitutes the forward end of the opening m, whereupon the boltmay be pulled out of the receiver. It is clear, however, that as long asthe trigger remains in the position shown in Fig. 3 the upstanding end7) of the extractor will always be caught between the bolt and thetrigger when the bolt is pulled out.

It is of course obvious that the operation of the hereinbefore-describedhammer and firing-pin would be the same in all respects if thefiring-pin it and the plunger (1 were made in one piece, and any suchchange as this would fall within the scope of the invention. In theclaims, therefore, the word hammer may be used to signify the mechanismcomprising the firing-pin /1., the plunger (Z, and the head 0, as these,in effect, constitute the hammer.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim,and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a firearm comprising a bolt and a hammer movable endwise therewithand therein, means to arrest the movement of the hammer near the end ofthe forward movement of the bolt, and means, actuated by the rotatorymovement of the bolt, to effect the gradual advance of the hammer intocontact with the v primer of the cartridge.

2. In a firearm comprising a frame, a bolt, a hammer in the bolt endwise movable therein and therewith, there being an abutment on the frameto temporarily interrupt the forward movement of the hammer when thebolt is moved forward, together with means operable by the rotativemovement of the bolt, to release the hammer from said abutment.

8. A breech mechanism for a firearm comprising a bolt and a hammertherein, means to restrain the forward movement of the hammer during aportion of the movement of the bolt in one plane toward the cartridge.and means, operable by the rotation of the bolt, to effect thedisengagement of the hammer from said restraining means.

4. In a breeclrloading mechanism of the character described, a suitableframe, a bolt, a hammer,.one end of which constitutes a con- 'tinuationof the bolt, a tongue extending from said end of the hammer into agroove or recess in the bolt; a stud in said end of the hammer to entera groove in the frame when the bolt moves forward, there being a secondgroove in the frame into which said stud is moved when the hammer isdrawn back to cocked position, whereby the bolt is locked againstrotation at that time.

5. The combination in a firearm of the character described, of a boltand a hammer, endwise movable as one piece, and means operable duringthe forward movement of the bolt to hold back the hammer at the momentof contact of the bolt with a cartridge, together with means actuated bythe rotatory movement of the bolt to effect the slow advance of thehammer to a position of contact with the cartridges.

6. In a firearm of the character described, a suitable frame, a bolt, ahammer endwise movable therein and non-rotatable relative thereto, oneend of the hammer constituting a continuation of the bolt; a stud'in theside of the last-named portion of the hammer, there being two parallelgrooves in the frame through one'of which said stud moves during thebreech-closing movement of the bolt, and through the other of which saidstud moves when the hammer is cocked, there being a third groove in theframe intersecting one end of said parallel grooves, through which saidstud moves when the bolt is rotated; the wall of said third grooveconstituting a stop to arrest the forward movement'of the hammer at somepoint during the like movement of the bolt.

7. In a firearm of the character described, a suitable frame, anendwise-movable bolt therein, an endwise-movable hammer in the bolt,-there being an inclined groove in the frame, with the wall of which aprojection on the hammer engages during the forward movement of thebolt, to permit the latter to move independently near the end of itsforward movement, said inclined groove serving to permit further forwardmovement to the hammer, when the bolt is rotated.

8. In a firearm of the character described, a suitable frame, anendwise-movable bolt in the frame, an endwise-movable hammer in thebolt, the latter and said hammer being rotatable as one piece; means tolock the hammer against rotation when it is drawn out into cockingposition, whereby the bolt is likewise locked against rotation.

9.- In a breech-loading firearm of the character described, a suitableframe, a bolt movable toward and from the rear end of the barrel, anextractor located between the under side of the bolt and the frame,slidable with the bolt in opposite directions in a groove in the frame,and a spring in said groove to 'hold the hooked end of the extractor inengagement with the head of a cartridge, during the operative movementof the extractor.

10. In a firearm ofthe character described, the combination with asuitable frame, of a trigger pivotally supported thereon, the nose ofthe trigger extending through an opening in the bottom of the frame; anend wise-movable bolt in the frame, there being a recess in the boltregistering with the opening in the frame when the bolt is retracted; anextractor having an upturned rear end, the latter and the nose of thetrigger extending into said recess in the bolt, whereby the nose on thetrigger constitutes an abutment to limit the rearward movement of thebolt, said upturned end of the extractor, located between the end of therecess in the bolt and the nose of the trigger, constituting a lockingmeans for the bolt.

CHARLES P. FAY. OSCAR F. MOSSBERG.

Witnesses:

K. I. CLuMoNs, WM. H. OHAPIN.

